Bryce Johnson secured tickets to “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” during its last week hoping to surprise his wife with an early Valentine’s Day present.

Little did he know, his wife had also secured tickets for the show that same day.

Three weeks later — on their “date day” — the Arizona couple laughed under the California sunshine recalling their favorite memories from the show.

The Johnsons were among the dozens of Leno fans — from as far as Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada — who lined up along Bob Hope Drive in Burbank as early as 5 a.m. Wednesday for the final general audience taping of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” in Southern California.

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“It’s a Bucket List kind of thing,” Kelly Johnson said.

This week marks Leno’s last as host of the long-running late night talk show. Leno has hosted “The Tonight Show” for more than 20 years, filling the seat after comedy legend Johnny Carson retired in 1992.

Guitar-playing funny man Jimmy Fallon, of “Saturday Night Live” fame and current host of the nearly 5-year-old show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” is on deck to take Leno’s place in the coveted 11:30 p.m. time slot on Feb. 17.

Kelly Johnson couldn’t stop giggling as she reminisced with her husband about her favorite bits like Headlines where Leno read newspaper clippings with hilarious typos and oddball stories, as well as Wedding Announcements,featuring couples whose last names combined with amusing results. (How can one resist laughing at the merger of Little-Weiner?)

The football fan in Bryce Johnson recalled the day NFL legend and FOX sports commentator Terry Bradshaw and Leno had a cake fight to mark Bradshaw’s 50th time on the show.

But for Denise McCarthy, a Claremont native and current San Marcos resident, all of it was great — every bit.

It was especially important for McCarthy to say her farewell to Leno in person as the comedian helped her through a rough time in her life. From 1996-99, McCarthy was recovering from a brain injury that she said put her in a state of depression and “Jay Leno was who kept me going.”

“I was in a lot of pain and the only thing that made me laugh was Jay Leno,” she said. “His jokes, his enthusiasm, really helped me through.”

Jackie Toft and her husband, David, were right behind the Johnsons in line on Wednesday eager to be part of what Toft says is “a historic moment.”

The Tofts drove in from San Diego, arrived at about 5:30 a.m. and slept in their car for a while before stepping into line around 8 a.m.

“I just think it’s sad he’s leaving,” Jackie Toft said, clutching her chest as she held back tears.

“We recorded every night,” her husband chimed in, adding that they’ve used VHS tapes all these years.

“It’s really a historic moment for us,” Jackie Toft continued. “They’re trading him in for a new model.”

Fallon takes the show to New York and will be the sixth host of “The Tonight Show,” counting the brief controversial stint by Conan O’Brien from June 2009 to January 2010 when Leno had originally announced his retirement from the show.

Fellow SNL alum Seth Meyers is slated to take Fallon’s place at NBC’s 12:30 a.m. time slot for “Late Nite” starting Feb. 24.

“I will do my best to do you proud every single night,” Fallon told Leno as a guest on Monday night’s show.

Still, for many fans of “The Tonight Show” for the past two decades, no one will be able to fill the seat quite like Leno. As Bryce Johnson said — echoing other fans when Leno announced his departure — “It’s an end of an era.” Seriously, this time.